The latest Index poll results, conducted by ComRes and broadcast by ITV News at Ten last night, found that 49 per cent of people felt Hunt should resign, with just 16 per cent disagreeing and 35 per cent not sure.

Around three-in-five (60 per cent) agreed there should be an independent inquiry into whether or not Hunt was involved in passing information to News Corp during its bid for BSkyB, with 16 per cent disagreeing and 24 per cent saying they were not sure.

Seventy-three per cent believe politicians were too close to the media, with just 11 per cent disagreeing and 17 per cent saying they did not.

Sixty-two per cent said allegations that Hunt's special adviser was passing information to News Corp during its bid for BSkyB showed just how close Government officials are to the Murdoch press.

However, 69 per cent also said that politicians have always been close to the media and this was nothing new (with 13 per cent disagreeing and 13 saying they were not sure).

Meirion Jones, Newsnight's former head of investigations, told Press Gazette in an interview - published this week - that he felt "everyone involved on the right side of the Savile argument has been forced out of the BBC".